Player Notes
JSU football: Newcomer Quae Drake leads dominant defensive showing against UTEP ·
JACKSONVILLE — Jacksonville State linebacker Quae Drake took the field on Burgess-Snow field for the first time Saturday night, but he didn’t waste any time introducing himself to the home crowd.He had a team-high 11 tackles in the 17-14 win over Texas-El Paso. He didn’t hold back in the postgame news conference either.“I think we proved that we belong here,” Drake said. “And I speak for defensively, ...
Here's the doomsday situation that keeps Georgia football out of CFP ·
I doubt Georgia fans give a hoot about what Urban Meyer, of all people, thinks, but the former Florida coach spit truth when he spotlighted the Bulldogs’ weak schedule.“I just also think the NCAA should mandate scheduling,” Meyer said on his “Urban’s Take with Tim May” podcast, while noting the schedules of Georgia and Michigan.Meyer’s wrong about the NCAA needing to become schedule czar. The NCAA ...
Is Clemson football still elite? Tigers, Dabo Swinney enter 2023 on shakier ground ·
16-20 minutes 8/26/2023ClemsonWhen The Associated Press released its preseason Top 25 poll in early August, coach Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football team were in an interesting spot.Coming off their seventh ACC championship in eight years and an Orange Bowl appearance, the Tigers debuted at No. 9 in the poll released Aug. 12. It continued a 12-year streak of being ranked in the Top 25 and an eight-year ...
These are the 5 best quarterbacks Alabama football will face in 2023 ·
By Matt Stahl |Alabama football’s quarterback battle isn’t settled yet. That’s been covered ad nauseam in Tuscaloosa.Before Nick Saban sends up a puff of white smoke, takes the cake out of the oven or whichever illustration you’d prefer for choosing between Jalen Milroe, Ty Simpson and Tyler Buchner, there’s other things to talk about. Namely, the other quarterbacks that the Crimson Tide will face ...
Vanderbilt football survives scare against Hawaii, wins season opener ·
3-3 minutes 8/27/2023Vanderbilt football got a scare Saturday against Hawaii in its season-opening game at FirstBank Stadium. The defense struggled to prevent chunk plays, but the Commodores were able to escape Week 0 with a 35-28 victory under third-year coach Clark Lea.Vanderbilt won its season opener for the second straight season.The Commodores played a sloppy game after inclement weather delayed ...
Grading the Vanderbilt football position group that nearly gave Hawaii path to victory ·
3-3 minutes 8/27/2023Vanderbilt football survived a scare Saturday against Hawaii.The Commodores (1-0) played sloppy football and were outgained by the Rainbow Warriors (0-1) by nearly 100 yards at FirstBank Stadium, repeatedly getting burned deep in the secondary and struggling to get any pressure on the quarterback.But Vanderbilt made the big plays when it needed to and came away with its second ...
Error-prone UTEP Miners drop heartbreaker to Jacksonville State, 17-14 ·
El Paso TimesJACKSONVILLE, Ala. — Season openers for evenly matched teams come down to who makes the fewest mistake.For the second consecutive season, that wasn't the Miners, who once again are in an early hole after a coulda-won-it 17-14 loss to Jacksonville State on Saturday.The Miners won the stats decisively, but had three turnovers while forcing zero, dropped two touchdown passes that were tough ...
Utah football releases its depth chart. Who are QB1 and QB2? ·
Aug. 26, 2023With less than a week to go before the Utah football team opens its season at Rice-Eccles Stadium against Florida, Utes fans now have a clearer idea of what the team will look like when it takes the field.The team has released its first two-deep depth chart of the season.Star quarterback Cam Rising was positioned as QB1 — perhaps not a surprise, as the program generally does not omit players ...
UMass football: Minutemen open season in impressive fashion with 41-30 win over New Mexico State ·
6-7 minutes 8/27/2023The Massachusetts football team came into the 2023 season looking to prove it wasn’t the UMass of old.The Minutemen made quite a statement in their season opener on Saturday against New Mexico State.After finishing last in the country in scoring a season ago, the UMass offense — led by transfer quarterback Taisun Phommachanh — came up with big drives when the squad needed them ...
Did Desmond Howard jinx Texas and their playoff hopes? ·
There is always hype surrounding Texas’s football team and while for the last decade it has typically been unwarranted, there is a different vibe heading into the 2023 season.Texas has one of the deepest rosters in the country, they are viewed as the favorite to win the Big 12, and the rest of the Big 12 appears to be trending in the wrong direction. However, on Saturday four fan bases saw their lives ...
Recent Stories
2025 Draft: Previewing edge prospects
The edge rusher is a premier position in the a modern version of pro football always seeking ways to encourage more passing.
The importance of franchise passers like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, C.J. Stroud, Justin Herbert, and Jalen ...
2025 Draft: ILBs seek relevance, respect
Over the past few draft cycles, there has been a lack of a bonafide, blue-chip prospect at the interior linebacker position. In recent memory, we have heard differing opinions on who is the top linebacker and what is his value in a draft.
The position of inside ...
Bet on future DBs—they can cover
As part of our series on football’s defensive back scene, the Hall of Football consulted our ever-evolving database of ~17,000 active college and high school players to evaluate the position's future, looking at the horizon at least six years down the road—approximately ...
2025 Draft: DBs have a tough act to follow
The 2024 cornerback class was one of the deepest in recent memory, with elite talent at the top of the class and unprecedented depth that followed. While it will be tough for the 2025 class to replicate that amount of talent, there are potential stars at the ...
Heisman Trophy odds: keeping track
The Heisman Trophy picture is constantly changing, and BetOnline.ag tracks those changes to create the best odds at any given time.
It has been about half a year since they first posted odds on who may win the coveted Heisman.
Check the changes and reasons ...
Seeking nuggets in pile of rookie DBs
Whether it be too little talent or too many rule changes favoring wide-open passing attacks, NFL secondaries no longer impact the game as they once did.
Newcomers from the 2024 Draft are not likely to fix the first part of that issue. Only three DBs went in the ...
History of mystery behind decline of RBs
We began this series on running backs with a warning:
“Mama, don’t let your babies grow up to be … running backs. Not anymore. Not unless something changes.”
Apparently, mama listened or already knew. My concern over the demise of this once heralded position ...
Diving into Hall of Football database
Now that we have settled into the Hall of Football (HallofFootball.substack.com), here is our first dive into the massive database that has been at the heart of NFL Draft Scout for more than 25 years.
Led by our player savant, Brian “Hitman” Hitterman, we gather ...
2025 NFL Draft: Running amok?
After coming off of a slim running back class in 2024, the 2025 draft includes more runners than usual as potential first or second-round picks. Optimistically there could be as many as seven good enough to go in the first two rounds. Realistically, there could ...
2025 Draft: Travis Hunter, a twofer?
It’s no secret Travis Hunter is the most dynamic and versatile player in college football. It’s not just that he plays both cornerback and wide receiver but that he plays both positions at a very high level.
Hunter has become a trailblazer in college football ...
2025 Draft: Does James Pearce have Edge as No. 1?
Overview
Edge rusher James Pearce Jr. from Tennessee is regarded as the top edge rusher in the SEC heading into the 2024 season. He is also projected as the top edge rusher for the 2025 draft, with many viewing him as the No. 1 overall pick.
Teams and scouts ...
My backstory to EA's CFB relaunch
In the mid-1980s, I sat down with Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins and his programmers to create the underlying rating system for Madden Football.
That rating system is essentially the same as the one that drives EA’s College Football 25, the latest in ...